[gilbear]

I have used Masa Harina for tortillas and empanadas. If I added some sugar to the basic formula, could I come up with a passable pie crust? I'm guessing that it would require blind baking to retain crispness. What are your thoughts? Thanks.

[Suzanne]

I don't have the exact recipe, but a place I used to work at made savory tart shells with masa harina. Also (I think) pastry flour, salt, water, and oil. My guess is that if you substituted masa harina for part of the flour (not one-to-one, but less masa) in a pate sucree recipe, it should work.

[momoreg]

Blind baking is usually a good idea, but it sometimes depends on what you're filling it with, and whether or not you intend to top the filling with a second crust.

You can take a basic cookie dough recipe, subbing cornmeal for some of the flour. The eggs in this sort of recipe will make the crust more sturdy.

A pie dough could be used as well, with added sugar and cornmeal in place of some flour, but if you add too much cornmeal, you'll end up with a crumbly dough that's hard to work with.

I wish I could give you an exact recipe- I know I've made something like that before.

What are you filling it with?

[gilbear]

Suzanne and Momoreg, thanks for the replies. I'm not sure what filling I intend, hadn't given it much thought. I'm just looking for some alternatives to wheat flour. I have relatives being diagnosed with Celiac disease. I need to seek gluten free recipes, I think. Just trying to pick your brains.
When I first read about it, my eyes played a trick on me and I read Celeriac. I figured there wouldn't be a problem being allergic to celery root, you almost never see it, but that was just the dyslexia talking. Got any good places to learn to cook without flour as a staple ingredient?

[momoreg]

Check to see if they can eat spelt. It behaves a lot like ap flour, but doesn't come from wheat.

[Mezzaluna]

You could try some low carb sites. They subsititute almond flour and soy flour, among other things (well, pork rinds for savory stuff, but I won't go there )

[markovitch]

Originally posted by momoreg
Check to see if they can eat spelt. It behaves a lot like ap flour, but doesn't come from wheat.

unfortunately, celiacs cannot have spelt, Kamut, or most preground oat or soy flours. sufferers of Celiac-sprue disease cannot have gluten in any form c.f. http://www.celiac.com for a list. My girlfriend is a celiac, and i've found it to be hard.

markovitch

[momoreg]

oh well.

[markovitch]

Originally posted by momoreg
oh well.

i know... gluten-free baking is super difficult, especially since most people with celiac sprue tend to have other food alergies as well. Celiac sprue is on the rise too...

markovitch